Bead Soup Beads

I received my goodies from my 

Bead Soup Partner, 

Kathrin Lembke!

What a talented lady!! She is an amazing glass artist.  There are so beautiful, my picture does not do them justice.  Thank you Kathrin, I am so excited to make something beautiful from your amazing glass beads and all the goodies you sent.

This is a great challenge for me, and why it is so much fun to participate in the Bead Soup exchange.  I am used to using vintage pieces and found objects, so I will be challenged to incorporate these fabulous pieces into something different.  What fun.

Here's what I sent to Kathrin, it will really throw her!! She isn't used to working with "vintage", so we will both be challenged!!

Thanks for looking!

Our reveal date is set for 8/25, so be sure to stop back and see what I design!!

Thank you Kathrin from Germany!!  I love what you sent, and look forward to playing.

What will come out of these beauties?? Hmmmm.

Riki

Where Bloggers Create 2012

I am so happy to be a participant in 

Karen Valentine's, of My Desert Cottage,

 4th annual

Where Bloggers Create 2012

I apologize ladies, I'm late!  I have been working my little fanny off getting ready for my summer shows.  So I had a choice, clean the workshop up, top to bottom, or just shoot it like it is...a working studio? I chose the later!!

So you are seeing the workshop in its workaholic stage!

Kind of a mess, but constructive!

Here is where most of the beading gets done.

See all those little beads in separate containers?

That's because we are snowbirds, and move twice a year.

Can you imaging moving your workshop twice a year?

You learn to get very compartmentalized for sure.

Here are some recent things I'm working on for classes, still compiling samples and prototypes. 

And jewelry is sitting out all over the workshop, being priced and tagged for my next show, in a week. And only one more after that, but the studio is buzzing with projects!

Here is my soldering station. Kind of a mess, but it gets used every single day!

Here is my jewelry bench, not cleaned up, not pretty, but here it is!!

I have to have everything in small containers so we can pack it all up and move it in May and September!  There are lots of plastic organizers.  And rhinestones of course!!

Here is a shot of the show the first weekend of June.  Thought I would show this shot, so you can see how the workshop looks when all cleaned up and looking pretty!!

I have a workshop on the other end too, in California.  Maybe one year I will post pics of that one so you can see it as well.

Thanks for visiting my studio, loved sharing it with you.

I hope to get around to visit as many of yours as I can.  I hope to see you on Facebook, be sure to friend me, and maybe meet you where I'm teaching one day, either on line, at Artful Gathering, or one of my workshops!

Take care, happy workshop hopping!

Riki

Bead Soup

Just a tease for the 6th

Bead Soup Party!

I'm taking part again in the fun Bead Soup Party, organized by the talented Lori Anderson, of Lori Anderson Designs, and 

Pretty Things blog. Lori puts her heart and soul in to this party, and there are over 400 participants, wow.  How does she do it?

This year I have a Bead Soup partner from Germany.  How cool is that?  I still haven't received her beads, nor her mine, but we are getting very anxious to see what the other sent!  Here is a little tease of what I sent to Kathrin Lembke. She wrote and told me she has a river that runs in front of her house, and another river near by, close to the North Sea.  Sounds like a fabulous and scenic place.  She says they have the biggest fruit growing areas in Germany and freshest fruit around. Wow, that is very cool. I am always so amazed at how well people speak English overseas, a good lesson for we Americans.

I hope she likes what I sent.  She is a talented glass artist, and doesn't use vintage in her work, so this was a challenge for me.  So we shall see what she does with the goodies.

The minute I receive her goodies, I will post them.

Take a look at Lori's blog post here, and see the list of all the participants, and you can spend the day blog hopping.  My reveal isn't until August 25th though, so you won't see what I made with Kathrin's goodies until then!

AND.... if you are interested in learning more about torches, lighting them, filling them, this is a perfect class for you.  My Overcoming the Fear of Fire class starts tomorrow!  At Artful Gathering, and you can see more about my class and many other amazing classes here:

Artful Gathering

This video is a little over an hour long, and goes over many of the techniques you can accomplish with a mixed gas torch, a micro butane torch and a power butane torch.  I tried to make this a very informative film for beginners, remembering what I knew when I started.  Nothing!

So take a look at the promo, and if you are interested, you can sign up now, or up to two weeks from now, then registration will be closed.  I will be available for six weeks to help and answer any questions I can along the way.

Happy creating everyone!  

Hugs,

Riki

New Workshop!

My oh my!

Lookie what we are going to make in a workshop!

Announcing

Le Petite Photo Workshop Weekend!

November 3rd and 4th

in Claremont, Californina

Here is the link on my "classes" page for more details.

These little sweeties are about 2" or so, and are sooo much fun to make, you will love them.

Then we will make a vintage stand for them to 

be shown off!

I am so excited about this workshop!

You can put so many fun things on these little tres chic darlings!

Then on the second day, off to a flea market we go, to hunt for lots of goodies, 

and replenish our stash!

Now what could be more fun?

A delicious workshop with lots of friends, an instructor you LOVE, (wink)

then shop til you drop at a flea market?

I hope you can join us.

Space is really limited, so please email me asap if you are interested. This was announced already by the dear friend who is hosting me at her house, and the class is already half full!!

Lots of hugs,

Riki

Artful Gathering Session 2

Thank you SO much for taking part in my first class at 

Artful Gathering. What a fun time! I know the creations are going to be amazing. Can't wait to see them all.

Today is the last day for registration for 

Session 1, and there is still four weeks left of class!

It's time to sign up for 

the second session!

Overcoming the Fear of Fire

Artful Gathering

Session 2

July 15-August 25

All on line, and interactive with your instructor, me, for six weeks!

Here is a little promo I made, to give you an idea of the fun we will have.

This workshop is designed to help the beginner become familiar with butane torches, the variety available, and how to use them.  
What can you do with them? 
How do they work?
Can you ball wire? Float solder?


That is all here, plus how to set up mixed gases, and what are some possibilities with the Smith Little Torch.


Why not take this journey with me...
step outside your box,
introduce heat to your creations?


Here are some examples of how much you can do when you incorporate a torch into your creations...

 

solder rhinestones onto metal....

solder found objects onto metal...

you can even use a butane torch to enamel  (this is not shown in the workshop)

just a few examples of the wonder of mixing heat into your creations!


I am so excited about bringing this workshop to you, 
and ALL ON LINE!  
It is the first time being offered and I will be demonstrating many processes for you.


How to ball wire?
How to float solder on metal?
Just a few of the basics demonstrated.


If you have any hesitations on how to use your butane torch, or mixed gas torch,
this is the workshop for you!!


Get help using your micro butane torch with this workshop, time to get it out and make some fun jewelry or mixed media art!


Hope to see you there. 
Registration is now open. Just click the link at the top and class begins on July 15th!


Time to overcome that fear of fire!!


Riki

Weekend workshop!

This weekend,

I HOPPED over the pond,

the big pond, meaning the Puget Sound here in Washington,

from our island to Anacortes,

to teach a workshop!

On the ferry, was a passenger of a difference type!

She is 7 weeks old, they are still naming her.

Is this the cutest bunny you have ever seen?

I will see her in August at the San Juan County Fair,

wonder if I will recognize her?

It was a drizzly day, full of wind and moisture, so lots of clouds.

Shot through a window, there was no way I was going outside!

That's another ferry in the misty, cloudy distance.

And the workshop at Elisabeth's Cottage by the Sea in Anacortes was amazing!

We had a small and amazingly talented group.

OMG, we laughed and played, it was a ball!

I had so much fun. This group was a hoot!

Your smiles speak a thousand words and remind me why it is important for me to teach... smiles!

Thank you ladies, you were all amazing, and so much fun to play with, I can't wait for the next time.

Many thanks to our host, Elisabeth. You made the day so wonderful, and you were such a gracious host. Thanks for all your help, and for hosting me.

And kudos to my talented students Kate, Melinda, Raphael, Tracy and the unknown artist (Vikki), hee hee.

Look at their magnificent work! 

I'm so proud I'm blushing ladies!

Can't wait to see what you wire on and how you finish them.

So I hopped back over the pond to my island.

It was a grand Saturday!

Then the clouds opening up, somewhat,

and we went for a motorcycle ride all day Sunday. 

Hard for a weekend to get any better!

love and hugs,

Riki

My "deer" dog

Maddie wants the deer to play ball!

So today, I'm in my workshop, playing, designing, creating, having a ball.

And so was Maddie!

With a deer!

I look out the double glass doors, and there she is nose to nose with a young deer.  Neither of them was really looking nervous or scared.  It was quite the standoff.  The deer was slowly walking by, and Maddie just stood there to watch it.

What a site.  I finally figured out the deer was trying to get to the rest of it's family.  The mom was behind us, eating my flowers no doubt.  So the deer just walked past Maddie, and could have cared less about me. I was able to get a few shots, but this was the best one.  

It was pretty fun to watch.  Then the three deer leaped into the woods.

So this is what I was working away on today.

This is a work in progress.

More later on this project, and maybe more pics of Maddie and her new friend,

if they come around again!

Artful Gathering is going so well, wish you all were in the class.  People are collecting goodies for their frames, and very excited.  I can't wait to see what they create, and will be posting a few pics of their creations as they are designed.

You can sign up for the Romantic Relic Frames class until June 20th.

And don't miss the next workshop I'm offering:

Overcoming The Fear of Fire

July 15-August 25

I hope to answer all your questions about how to choose the right torch for you, and how they operate

If you haven't friended me on Facebook, please be sure to do so!

I'm posting progress on work, and all kinds of fun things daily.

Hugs,

Riki

Workshop in my studio summer 2012

Two New Classes

in my studio

on San Juan Island, WA!

In one of the jewels of our country, 

the Pacific Northwest.

This is a premier opportunity to take classes from me in my workshop this summer!

Space is extremely limited.  

We're talking up close and personal, so much fun!

Saturday August 18th, 10a-5p

Snow White Necklace Workshop

We will be cutting metal, forming wire, soldering metal, soldering rhinestone chain, and much more!

Beginners are welcome!

Sunday August 19th, 10a-4p

Earrings, earrings, earrings! workshop

In this workshop, you will learn the art of etching metal, and cutting out the etched metal to form earrings. You will be taking a couple pair of finished earrings home with you! Beginners welcome.

Here is your chance to visit one of nature's playgrounds, the Pacific Northwest.  I live on a remote island, available only by ferry or plane, on acres of wooded beauty.  Bring your husband, it is a perfect fishing haven.  Lots of lovely places to stay, and a quaint town to marvel at.

This is truly an escape workshop opportunity!

Space is really limited, so sign up now!

To reserve a spot (and a few are left), send me an email asap.

Hope to see you.

Hugs,

Riki